Icebreaker sets sail on China's 9th Arctic research expedition

China's research icebreaker Xuelong set sail from Shanghai Friday, marking the country's 9th Arctic expedition.

The icebreaker Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, is pictured after it returned to home port from a 83-day expedition to Arctic in Shanghai, China, 10 October 2017. [Photo: IC]

A team of 131 researchers, along with foreign scientists, will make the two-month trip of 12,300 nautical miles.

During the expedition, Xuelong will conduct research in Chukchi Rise and the Canada Basin in the Arctic Ocean and is expected to return to Shanghai before the end of September.

"The new expedition involves many studies that are interdisciplinary and focus on issues such as marine radioactivity, microplastics, and ocean acidification," said Wei Zexun, chief scientist of the expedition.

Xuelong, whose name means snow dragon, is currently China's only polar icebreaker in service.